Facebook announces 'Home' for Android (pictures)

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, unveiled Facebook Home for Android today during a press conference in Menlo Park, Calif. The new UI renders the popular social networking site more integral to Android-based mobile phones, fully immersing users with their Facebook accounts.

A simplistic visualization of how Facebook Home operates on a user's handset. Zuckerberg stated that his company is not building a new operating system. However, the new experience is a "whole lot deeper than an ordinary app."

Cover Feed

When you open your Facebook Home-compatible phone, like the HTC First, you'll see photos in your news feed make up the wallpaper. While the overlay cycles through pictures, you can interact with the text, and other features, without disrupting the flow.

Navigating Facebook Home

Facebook uses your profile pic to as a key to simple navigation. Slide the icon to open Facebook's messenger app (which includes text as well as Facebook chat), the app launcher, or to return to the previously-opened app -- in this case, Facebook.

App tray

Although apps take the back seat with Facebook Home, they're still there. You can open an app launcher that's filled with shortcuts, and swipe left to get to your full list of apps. Swipe vertically to see them all, and long press to start saving them as shortcuts.

Chat Heads

Crazily, Facebook named its chat feature "Chat Heads," after the icons of profile pictures that represent your contact. You can initiate Facebook or texting chats through here, and have multiple chats open at once.

Chat anywhere

Since chat windows float on top of what you're looking at, you can keep one open on any screen. This is handy if you'e having a conversation with someone. When you're done, just flick it down and away.